Self-clinching cable tie mount

ABSTRACT

A self-clinching fastener that when pressed into a thin sheet panel provides for a strong attachment point for a cable tie. The inventive fastener relies on the self-clinching process to carry external loads and thus carries larger loads when compared to adhesive backed cable tie mounts. When installed, the self-clinching fastener becomes flush with the far side of the sheet panel.

BACKGROUND

[0001] 1. Field of the invention

[0002] The present invention relates to self-clinching fasteners thatprovide for a secure mounting location for common cable ties.

[0003] 2. Description of Prior Art

[0004] Manufacturers of industrial machines quite often make use of wireharnesses to distribute electrical power to various locations within amachine. It is common to run bundles of wire along a sheet metal panelin order to distribute the bundles of wires. These bundles are oftenanchored to a sheet panel in discreet locations to prevent the wiresfrom coming in contact with harmful elements.

[0005] A common approach to anchoring these wire bundles to a panelmakes use of a plastic molded cable mount with an adhesive backing.Examples of an adhesive backed cable tie mount is disclosed by RobertNicoli in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,856. The Nicoli adhesive mount is simplyapplied to a sheet panel via the adhesive backing on the cable tie mountitself. This provides for an anchor point for a cable tie.

[0006] Another tie mount was disclosed by Hirosni Osada in U.S. Pat. No.4,705,245. Osada teaches about a tie mount that snaps into a sheet panel

[0007] The disadvantage of the Nicoli adhesive mount is its tendency todislodge itself over time from the sheet panel. The adhesive backingquite often fails when too much load is placed on the adhesive mount.Also, the final placement of the adhesive backed mount on a panel isquite often inconsistent due to the installation process of simplylaying the adhesive mount on a sheet panel.

[0008] The disadvantage of the Osada snap-action mount is it can onlyhandle a limited amount of loading. Also, the Osada mount does notdisplay a flush surface on the far side of the sheet panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are:

[0010] (a) to improve the load bearing capability of a cable tie mountwithout the use of a screw;

[0011] (b) to reduce the assembly time for installing a cable tie mountfor a high load application;

[0012] (c) to improve the positional accuracy of locating a cable tiemount; and

[0013] (d) to provide a self-clinching fastener used as a cable tiemount that has a low profile and a flush appearance on the far side ofthe sheet panel.

[0014] Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from aconsideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of the first embodiment;

[0016]FIG. 2 shows a front view of FIG. 1 clearly depicting thesubstantially rectangular cross section of the cavity;

[0017]FIG. 3 shows a section view of FIG. 1;

[0018]FIG. 4 shows an assembly view of the first embodiment in relationto a sheet panel and a cable tie;

[0019]FIG. 5 shows an isometric view of the second embodiment;

[0020]FIG. 6 shows an isometric view of the third embodiment;

[0021]FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of the fourth embodiment;

[0022]FIG. 8 shows an isometric view of the fifth embodiment; and

[0023]FIG. 9 shows a front view of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] With initial reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a self-clinching cabletie mount 10 is shown. Mount 10 has a body 15. Protruding outward andadjacent to body 15 are two extended lands 11 and 12. Extended land 11and extended land 12 are set apart from one another. Both extended lands11 and 12 are parallel to one another. Formed into body 15 are twoundercut grooves 13 and 14. Undercut groove 13 and extended land 11 areadjacent and parallel to one another. Undercut groove 14 and extendedland 12 are adjacent and parallel to one another. Body 15 joins extendedlands 11 and 12 with undercut grooves 13 and 14.

[0025] From FIG. 2, body 15 has an external guide wall 16 that isadjacent to undercut groove 13. An external guide wall 17 is located onbody 15 and opposite in side to external guide wall 16. External guidewall 17 is adjacent to undercut groove 14. Both external guide walls 16and 17 slope inward and away from undercut grooves 13 and 14.

[0026] From FIGS. 1 through 3, a cavity 23 whose length extends throughbody 15 perpendicular to an axis joining both extended lands 11 and 12.The width of cavity 23 is measured perpendicular to the length of cavity23. The height of cavity 23 is measured perpendicular to a plane joiningextended land 11 to extended land 12 and perpendicular to the width ofcavity 23. The height and width of cavity 23 are both measured in aplane that is parallel to the cross section of cavity 23. For fastener10 shown in FIG. 1, the cross section of cavity 23 is substantiallyrectangular in shape. However, the corners of the substantiallyrectangular cavity 23 may not be sharp and thus the overall crosssection of cavity 23 could then be considered obround, trapezoidal, orany general shape where the width is greater than the height.

[0027] With reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, a side guide wall 18 and aside guide wall 19 formed into body 15 both lead up to cavity 23. A topguide wall 24 is formed into body 15 and is adjacent to side guide walls18 and 19. Top guide wall 24 is located along cavity 23. Both side guidewalls 18 and 19 slope inward and toward cavity 23. Opposite to top guidewall 24 and adjacent to side guide walls 18 and 19 is a bottom guidewall 22. Top guide wall 24 slopes outward and away from bottom guidewall 22 and outward and away from extended lands 11 and 12.

[0028] With further reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, by copying androtating side guide walls 18 and 19 and top guide wall 24 one hundredand eighty degrees about an axis I-I (FIG. 1), two more side guide walls20 and 21 and a top guide wall 25 are formed into body 15.

[0029] From FIG. 4, a sheet panel 28 has a cutout 27 that goes throughthe thickness of sheet panel 28. A cable tie 29 has a substantiallyrectangular cross section.

[0030] While the above description contains many specifications, theseshould not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention,but rather as an exemplification of the first embodiment thereof.

[0031] For example, FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment 30 that is derivedfrom first embodiment 10 by removing side guide walls 20 and 21 and topguide wall 25 from embodiment 10 to form a cavity 33 on embodiment 30.

[0032]FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment 50 that is derived from firstembodiment 10 by removing side guide walls 18, 19, 20, 21, and top guidewalls 24 and 25 from body 15. Also removed are external guide walls 16and 17. The removed walls leave third embodiment 50 with no slopingwalls and therefore all walls are either vertical or horizontal with notapering slope.

[0033]FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment 70 that is derived from firstembodiment 10. Embodiment 70 is formed by removing side guide walls 18,19, 20, 21, top guide walls 24 and 25, external guide walls 16 and 17,and rotating extended lands 11 and 12 and undercut grooves 13 and 14ninety degrees about the II-II axis.

[0034]FIG. 8 shows a fifth embodiment 90. Fifth embodiment 90 has twoextended lands 93 and 94. Embodiment 90 has two external guide walls 91and 92 that are 90° out of phase with extended lands 93 and 94.

[0035] All Embodiments are made preferably of steel and are most oftenplated to resist corrosion. The preferred embodiments can beconveniently made from steel using the powder metal process.Nevertheless, other metals and processes, such as aluminum and theextruding process, can also be used provided they have sufficientstrength and other required physical characteristics.

[0036] In operation self-clinching cable tie mount 10 is passed intocutout 27 located in sheet panel 28. External guide walls 16 and 17assist in guiding fastener 10 through cutout 27. Fastener 10 is furtheradvanced through cutout 27 until extended lands 11 and 12 first makecontact with sheet panel 28. Using the appropriate tooling, fastener 10is then pressed into sheet panel 28 by means of the self-clinchingprocess. The self-clinching process requires both extended lands 11 and12 to displace a portion of sheet panel 28 into undercut grooves 13 and14. When displaced material from sheet panel 28 has flowed into undercutgrooves 13 and 14, fastener 10 is clinched into sheet panel 28.

[0037] With fastener 10 firmly clinched into sheet panel 28, cable tie29 is then inserted through cavity 23. Side guide walls 18 and 19 alongwith bottom guide wall 22 and top guide wall 24 help guide cable tie 29through cavity 23. Entry into cavity 23 can also be accomplished bycable tie 29 first approaching side guide walls 20 and 21 in addition totop guide wall 25 and bottom guide wall 22.

[0038] Second embodiment 30 is operated similar to fastener 10. However,second embodiment 30 only permits the guided entrance of cable tie 29from one side of cavity 33.

[0039] Third embodiment 50 is operated similar to fastener 10. However,third embodiment 50 does not provide for a guided entrance from eitherside of cavity 56. Also, third embodiment 50 does not have externalguide walls 16 and 17 found on embodiment 10. Third embodiment 50function as embodiment 10 without the benefit of a guided entrance intosheet panel 28 and the benefit to guide cable tie 29 into cavity 56.

[0040] Fourth embodiment 70 is operated similar to third embodiment 50.However, fourth embodiment 70 differs from third embodiment 50 byrotating extended lands 71 and 72 and undercut grooves 73 and 74 ninetydegrees about the II-II axis. The position of extended lands 71 and 72and undercut grooves 73 and 74 has no effect on the function of fourthembodiment 70. Moreover, the relative position of the extended lands andundercut grooves with respect to the cavity for all embodiments has noeffect on the intended purpose of the inventive fasteners. Therefore,all embodiments will function well with the self-clinching features asshown in FIGS. 1 through 6 or rotated ninety degrees as depicted in FIG.7.

[0041] The cross section of the cavities depicted in FIGS. 1 through 7is designed to accommodate the cross section of an industry standardcable tie. This explains the substantially rectangular cross section ofall cavities shown. However, processes used to manufacture the preferredembodiment may tend to leave a radius in each of the corners of thecross section and thus would result in a more obround looking crosssection. This is highly preferred over a substantially round cavity asfound in the Winton patent or the Penn Engineering & Manufacturingfastener.

[0042] A round cavity would produce a taller fastener and would not havea low profile as disclosed in the preferred embodiments.

[0043] Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined notby the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and theirlegal equivalents.

1. A fastener to provide an anchor point for a cable tie and to befastened to a sheet panel, comprising: a self-clinching base toself-clinch to the sheet panel and including first and second extendedlands; and a body extending from said base and having a cavity toreceive the cable tie, the cavity extending in a direction through saidbody and parallel to a surface of the sheet panel and having anon-circular cross-section; wherein the body is adapted to enter anaperture in the sheet panel prior to the first and second extendedlands.
 2. The fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bodycomprises first and second side guide walls leading to said cavity, andsloping inward of said body as a distance to said cavity decreases. 3.The fastener as claimed in claim 2, wherein said body further comprisesa first top guide wall adjacent to said first and second guide walls andextending along a width of said cavity and sloping inward of said bodyto a midpoint of said cavity as a distance to a center of the cavitydecreases.
 4. The fastener as claimed in claim 3, wherein said bodyfurther comprises: third and fourth side guide walls leading to saidcavity, at opposite sides of a second end of said cavity, and slopinginward of said body as a distance to said cavity decreases; and a secondtop guide wall adjacent to said third and fourth guide walls andextending along a width of said cavity and sloping inward of said bodyto a midpoint of said cavity as a distance to the center of the cavitydecreases, said second top guide wall meeting said first top guide wall;wherein said third and fourth side guide walls and said second top guidewall are respectively symmetrical about a plane including a height ofsaid cavity to said first and second side guide walls and said first topguide wall.
 5. The fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bodyincludes a first top guide wall extending along a width of said cavityand sloping inward of said body to a midpoint of said cavity as adistance to a center of the cavity decreases.
 6. The fastener as claimedin claim 1, wherein: said base further comprises a first undercut grooveadjacent and parallel to said first extended land, to receive a firstportion of the sheet panel through displacement of the sheet panel bysaid first extended land, and a second undercut groove adjacent andparallel to said second extended land, to receive a second portion ofthe sheet panel through displacement of the sheet panel by said secondextended land.
 7. The fastener as claimed in claim 6, wherein thedirection extending through said body is parallel to the line joiningsaid first and second extended lands.
 8. A fastener to provide an anchorpoint for a cable tie and to be fastened to a sheet panel, comprising: aself-clinching base to self-clinch to the sheet panel and includingfirst and second extended lands and corresponding first and secondundercut grooves adjacent thereto; and a body extending from said baseand having a cavity to receive the cable tie, the cavity extending in adirection through said body and parallel to a surface of the sheet paneland having a non-circular cross-section; wherein the first and secondextended lands are adapted to enter an aperture in the sheet panel afterthe first and second undercut grooves